I am a two-term councillor with seven years’ elective experience on Delta council, currently seeking election as mayor.

George Harvie, Delta’s former city manager who never has held elective office but currently is a candidate for mayor, claimed that public scrutiny of his actions while working as a city employee was “nasty politics,” “baseless,” “shameful,” and, most surprisingly, “a personal attack on my character, dignity and leadership.”

My response to Harvie’s overly-sensitive, disproportionate response is this: Public scrutiny is essential to public service.

Harvie’s actions as a Delta city employee became a topic of public interest in mid-August when a letter written by Metro Vancouver chair Greg Moore to Delta Mayor Lois Jackson revealed that an un-named Delta official had “strenuously objected” to an air-quality permit for Enviro-Smart, the Ladner composting facility whose foul odour has long irritated nearby residents.

It soon became known that Harvie was the un-named official, and soon thereafter a second Metro Vancouver document – an internal memo written by environmental manager Ray Robb – publicly released stated that Harvie also had opposed “the notion of any public consultation” regarding Enviro-Smart’s air permits or solid waste licenses.

Harvie responded by stating the “public record shows that I received direction from city council ....” This statement surprised the elected members of council, and in response four councillors – Robert Campbell and I (both members of Team Delta), as well as Jeannie Kanakos and Bruce McDonald – requested additional information and/or proposed remedial action.

I held a news conference and outlined an “Action Plan for Ethical Local Government,” whereby Delta could prevent future abuses of authority by either elected officials or un-elected senior managers.

To be clear, all of the individuals referred to in this letter now are candidates for public office –Harvie and I are running for mayor, while Campbell, Kanakos and McDonald are seeking re-election as councillors. All of us, except for Harvie, have considerable experience as publicly-elected representatives.

I believe this largely explains Harvie’s exaggerated, overly-sensitive response to questions regarding his conduct as a city employee. He seems to have no concept – or, to be charitable, is simply unaware – of what it means to be accountable to the public.

Being a servant of the public means listening to voters and taxpayers; it means subverting one’s own ego to the best interests of our community; and it means graciously – if not happily – accepting criticism and scrutiny.

As the story in the Optimist sadly shows, Harvie has much to learn about both public service and public accountability.

Sylvia Bishop

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